What action should a security engineer take to prevent data exfiltration through cracked passwords in the future?

To effectively prevent data exfiltration through cracked passwords, disabling password reuse is a critical action a security engineer should take. When users are allowed to reuse passwords across multiple accounts or systems, the compromise of one account can lead to the compromise of others, especially if those credentials are stored in insecure ways. By enforcing a policy that prevents users from reusing passwords, you significantly reduce the risk of attackers gaining access to multiple accounts, thereby enhancing the overall security posture.

Additionally, a policy against password reuse promotes the use of unique and stronger passwords for each account, making it much harder for attackers to exploit cracked passwords from one source to access another. This practice helps in mitigating risks related to credential stuffing attacks or the use of leaked credentials from past breaches.

Other actions, while important in their own right, do not directly address the reuse issue. For instance, enforcing password complexity may help ensure that passwords are not easily guessable, but it does not prevent users from using the same password across different platforms. Password salting adds a layer of security for stored passwords by enhancing their resistance to rainbow table attacks, yet it does not influence user behavior regarding password reuse. Similarly, while password hashing secures stored passwords, it does not address the problem of users choosing weak